Back over here with all my usual disclaimers. I just own the O/Cs, not House.
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Caroline finished cleaning up the kitchen, catching herself humming as she did so. A soft laugh behind her snapped her out of her reverie.
"Well, well, little sis." Celia poured herself the last of the coffee and took a seat at the kitchen table. "That was nice of that doctor to drop in."
Caroline could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "He just stopped by to check on Kieran."
"Of course he did." Celia fixed Caroline with a warm smile.
"He did!" Caroline insisted, even as her cheeks grew warmer.
Celia finished her coffee and rose from the table, setting her mug in the sink. "Sounds like maybe he was checking up on you, too."
"Oh, no." Caroline shook her head as she furiously scrubbed the counter. "No, no, no."
Celia placed her hand over her younger sister's. "You're gonna scrub a hole in that damn counter."
Caroline stared down at the hand that covered hers. "Nothin' happened."
"Aw, girl." Celia wrapped an arm around Caroline's shoulders. "I ain't judgin' you. A rabid dog would be better than Kevin." She gave her sister a quick squeeze. "Bet that doctor could fix you right up."
Caroline giggled and nudged her older sister. Celia patted the younger woman's hand and moved to lean against the counter. "So…you gonna tell me more about him?"
Caroline took a deep breath. "Well…his name's Greg, he's a doctor…"
Celia rolled her eyes. "Tell me somethin' I don't know, sis."
The warmth spread through Caroline again as she glanced up at her sister. "He's a real sweetheart. Went with me to the hospital, sat with Kieran…" She debated whether to share the rest.
Celia threw her a skeptical look. "I know there's more, girlie."
Emotion rose up in Caroline, emotion that threatened to spill over. How could she explain the kindness House had shown her, the warmth of his embrace, the feel of his surprisingly gentle lips on hers?
She finally decided to reveal what had transpired between herself and House. After all, she trusted Celia above anyone else. If she told her sister, it was almost guaranteed not to get back to Kevin.
"You got to promise not to tell no one." Caroline lifted her eyes to meet her sister's.
"I promise." Celia made a zipping motion across her lips.
"Not Mom, nothin' in front of Kieran…" She gave her sister a sharp look. "Not even Rob."
Celia huffed and rolled her eyes. "Rob wouldn't tell Kevin anyway. You know he can't stand him."
"Promise." Caroline insisted.
"Okay, okay, I promise." Celia relented. "Now spill."
"Okay." Caroline took a quick breath. Finally she simply blurted it out. "He kissed me."
"I knew it!" Celia exclaimed. "Well, I didn't know that, but…I knew there was more to the story than what you were tellin'." She reached out to squeeze Caroline's hand. "So…how is he?"
"He's real…" Caroline couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across her face. "My God, Celia, it was…I don't even know. Good. It was real good. I can't even explain it."
Celia suddenly wrapped her sister in a huge bear hug. Caroline returned the hug, the emotion she held inside finally bubbling over until she was almost sobbing.
"Baby, what's the matter?" Celia rubbed Caroline's back.
"I can't do this." Caroline choked out. "It's wrong. I'm married, he ain't hangin' around…why's this got to happen now?"
"Oh, girl." Celia let out a soft sigh. "There ain't no explainin' some things."
Caroline finally pulled herself together and eased away from Celia, picking up her ring from the window ledge. After examining it carefully, she set it back down. "I ain't doin' this no more."
"Doin' what?"
"I think I'm done with Kevin." Caroline's voice sounded shaky, but she was determined. "I ain't gonna bail him out, and I ain't gonna be around when he gets out. Me and Kieran deserve better."
Celia smiled widely and hugged her sister again. "It's about damn time, baby girl. I know a good lawyer. You want his card?"
Caroline giggled, wiping her eyes and nodding, blowing out a long breath. "I gotta go get ready for work."
"I'll keep an eye on the little man." Celia assured her. "Go on."
Caroline turned to leave, but turned back briefly to grab her ring off the window ledge. Even though she had finally decided her marriage was over, she didn't want to lose the ring.
She soon emerged, refreshed and ready to face the rest of her day. Celia and Kieran were on the couch in the living room, singing along with an episode of 'Sesame Street'.
"Give Mama kisses, baby." Caroline called to him. Kieran hopped off the couch and ran to her, wrapping his tiny arms around her and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"I love you, Mama."
"I love you too, baby." A warm feeling spread through Caroline at the words. As long as she heard those words from Kieran, she didn't need to hear them from any other man. Although…
She shook off the thought. House wasn't going to stay any longer than he had to. He had made that abundantly clear. No, Caroline would simply break away from Kevin and build a new life for herself and her son. Maybe she would move somewhere else, closer to the nearest community college, take a few classes.
The wheels were turning in her head as she left the house, all but bouncing down the stairs. The elation she felt disappeared almost as quickly as it had sprung up when she saw who was standing next to her SUV.
"Why ain't you at home, honey?" Kevin's deceptively gentle voice stopped Caroline in her tracks.
Her heart started pounding at the sight. There was no way to get around him to get into her truck. "Didn't want to be alone, that's all." She avoided his penetrating gaze. "When'd you get out?"
"This mornin'." Kevin answered. "Had to call my buddy to bail me out, seeing as my wife couldn't be bothered. Seems she was 'busy'."
Caroline thought her heart would stop. Surely no one knew what had transpired between her and House. She squelched down the panic that was starting to build up in her, trying to conjure up the determination that had possessed her earlier. "I was busy. Kieran came down sick, and I had to take care of him."
A flash of concern crossed Kevin's features. "He okay?"
"Of course." Caroline snapped. "It was just an ear infection. He's doin' just fine."
"Good." Kevin moved to close the distance between them, lightly stroking her cheek. Caroline could feel her resolve weakening. "I missed you, you know. Couldn't stop thinkin' about you."
"I'm sure." Caroline murmured.
Kevin regarded her with a puzzled look. "You didn't miss me?"
"Course I did." Caroline replied.
Kevin's hand moved down Caroline's cheek to lightly grasp the side of her neck. "Then why the fuck did you leave me in jail?" He hissed, squeezing harder.
The panic returned, surging through Caroline as his fingers pressed harder, and she could feel herself starting to black out.
"Answer me!" Kevin screamed, and Caroline prayed he had screamed loud enough for Celia to hear.
"I…I…" Caroline could feel herself falling, the darkness enveloping her.
"That's what I thought." Kevin snapped, kicking her in the ribs with a steel-toed boot before spitting on her. "I know all about you and that goddamn gimp. You ain't foolin' nobody, you useless slut." She could hear Kevin bend down next to her. "By the time I'm through with you, ain't no man gonna want you but me."
Caroline was barely alert enough to feel Kevin pick her up and shove her roughly into the waiting vehicle. The truck started, and it backed out of the driveway and started moving down the road.
The fear started to rise up again, and she turned her head drowsily toward Kevin. "Where're we goin'?"
"Home." Kevin spoke calmly. "Where we belong."
"What about Kieran?"
"Don't worry none about him." Kevin's words were reassuring, though the tone was anything but. "I'm sure he's in good hands, right?"
"Right." Caroline murmured, even as worry started to work at her.
Kevin let out a rough sigh next to her as he stopped the truck and put it in Park. "Look, baby…I just want us to get back to the way we used to be. I don't wanna fight, 'kay?"
"Me neither." Caroline answered softly, her earlier resolve disappearing.
With that Kevin leaned across the console, gently cupping Caroline's face. She couldn't help tensing up at the move, and Kevin sighed again, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Will you relax? I ain't gonna hurt you."
A chill went through Caroline at the words. "You already did, remember?"
"That was an accident, you know that." Kevin told her. "I'd never hurt you on purpose. You just…you know, set me off. I'm sure you didn't mean to."
Suddenly the fog lifted, and Caroline could feel the anger rising. She roughly removed Kevin's hand. "I didn't do nothin' to you. You just can't control yourself."
Before the words were out of her mouth, Kevin delivered a stinging slap to her cheek, nearly spinning her head around. "Goddammit, woman, there you go again! Why can't you understand what you're doin'?" He gripped her face with both hands. "Don't you get it? You make me do this to you. I don't wanna do it, but you keep makin' me!" He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, roughly shoving his tongue into her mouth and pushing her against the door of the truck. "I love you. I just want you to do right by me. That's all I want."
Caroline struggled, but she was no match for her much bigger and taller husband. "Stop! You're hurtin' me!"
"You got to learn your place, girl." Kevin's voice turned rough as his hands started to undo her shirt. Caroline's heart was pounding, even as it ached. She could feel the tears start to leak out, and she fought to control herself.
Kevin let out a low, menacing chuckle. "Now, now, ain't no need to cry, honey." He leaned over her and started kissing her down her neck, his hands grabbing at her breast and pinching the nipple hard.
She let out a cry of pain, fighting against him. He nipped hard at her neck in response. "You know how much it turns me on when you fight me. Makes it hotter, baby."
Caroline fumbled around behind her for the door handle, but Kevin was faster, reaching over to lock the doors. "You ain't tryin' to escape, are ya?" He let out a derisive laugh. "Whatcha gonna do, scream rape? Everyone knows you can't rape the willin'."
The tears finally spilled over, an overwhelming feeling of defeat washing over Caroline. She should have known that she'd never really escape. Better to submit to Kevin, let him have his way, and enjoy the peace for a little while.
Except that the peace never lasted. It was an old pattern between them, this endless back and forth. Caroline was suddenly tired of it, tired of always submitting to Kevin.
Kevin suddenly seemed to relax, taking Caroline gently into his arms and stroking her hair. "Come on, baby. I'm sorry. Don't cry."
Caroline took in a shaky breath, pressing a hand against Kevin's chest. "I can't do this no more, Kevin."
"Do what?"
"This…craziness." Caroline was having trouble finding the words. "It ain't good for us, and it ain't good for Kieran."
"Why do you think I brought you out here?" Kevin asked gently. "I knew you'd go all crazy, and I didn't want Kieran to see all that."
"That is it." Caroline's temper finally got the better of her. "Greg was right about you. I shoulda just let you rot."
The minute the words flew out of her mouth, she knew she had made a mistake. Kevin's face turned red with rage as he sat back, staring at her coldly. "That's his name? Greg? That's who you've been fuckin' while I've been sittin' in a jail cell?" He leaned in again, shoving her hard against the door and grabbing at her bra, ripping it wide open and squeezing her breasts hard. "You let him touch these?"
Caroline was frozen with fear as he moved downward, furiously working at her jeans and wrestling with them. Finally he lost patience and pulled something out of his pocket.
It flipped open, revealing a long, shiny blade, and he started slicing at the denim's seams until it peeled away, leaving her clad in only her underwear and shirt. Kevin made quick work of the underwear before Caroline could make a sound.
He held the knife to the base of Caroline's throat, his cold eyes meeting hers. "You know what you gotta do now."
Caroline wasn't entirely sure. Kevin had never drawn a weapon on her before now, and she was close to the edge of panic. With shaky hands, she started to undo Kevin's belt and jeans.
"Faster, goddammit!" He snarled, poking her with the knife. "You wanna get caught out here?"
She tried to obey, but her fingers refused to function. Finally she had him undone, and he set the knife aside to pull his jeans and underwear down the rest of the way, shifting so that he was over Caroline while he found the seat release.
The back of the seat moved to a reclining position, and Kevin lay over Caroline, his cold expression filling her with fear. He quickly entered her, slamming into her with no regard for her.
She almost immediately shut down, trying to imagine that she was anywhere but here. He pumped into her a few more times before releasing with a loud groan, collapsing on top of her. "Goddammit…I've missed you so much." He lifted his head and fixed her with a slight smile, that smile Caroline had fallen in love with so long ago. "Think maybe we made us another little squirt?"
Caroline could almost feel her heart squeeze in fear. "Maybe." She murmured, looking away from him.
"I'd like it if we did." Kevin told her softly, stroking her cheek. "Be nice if Kieran had a little brother."
He quickly kissed her and pulled up his jeans, regarding her coolly. "Damn, honey, you're a mess. You'd better get home and clean up." He stared down hard at her. "And I mean home, not your mama's."
With that he opened the passenger door and climbed out, flipping open his phone as he did so, and Caroline finally got a good look at her surroundings.
Nothing looked familiar. Anger and sadness churned inside her as she realized what had happened. Kevin had all but raped her, knowing that she would have to somehow find her way back in what was left of her torn clothes.
The tears started anew as she furiously smacked the dashboard. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"
Kevin immediately opened the door. "What the hell's the matter with you? Calm down. You're makin' a goddamn scene."
"Fuck you!" Caroline cried out and slammed the door, quickly locking it and climbing to the driver's side. She started the truck and peeled away, not caring where she was going. All she cared about was putting as much distance as she could between herself and Kevin.
She didn't get far before realization dawned on her. If someone saw her driving around in her disheveled condition, there would be questions, and lots of them.
Kevin was right about one thing. She had to calm down. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to find her way back to town.
She drove on a little further until she started spotting familiar landmarks, finally turning down what she hoped was the right dirt road.
A bit of hope started rising in her as she spotted a couple of familiar houses, culminating in relief when she pulled into a driveway where the road dead ended.
She laid on the horn, hoping against hope that someone would be home. Soon she saw the curtains move as someone looked through them. The door opened, and Rob lumbered out, carefully making his way down the steps on crutches.
Caroline rolled down her window a little as Rob approached. His puzzled expression changed to horror, quickly followed by anger. "What the hell happened?"
The shaky composure that Caroline had managed to maintain fell apart at the sound of her friend's words. "Kevin…he kicked me…he…he…"
Rob's eyes narrowed. "I'll be right back."
He quickly made his way back into the house, and Caroline nearly collapsed with relief. Maybe she would find a way to escape this madness after all.
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